GOP pushing another special election plan

Friday

Illinois House and Senate Republicans are renewing their push for a special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat occupied by the embattled Roland Burris.

Illinois House and Senate Republicans are renewing their push for a special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat occupied by the embattled Roland Burris.

If Republicans are successful, the election will be held May 26, whether Burris is still serving in the chamber or not.

Pressure is mounting on Burris to resign after he repeatedly changed his story about contact he had with former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Blagojevich aides over the Senate appointment.

“This is an opportunity to give the people of the state of Illinois a chance to be involved,” said House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego. “They don’t trust us.”

“Returning that, to use the phrase, ‘bleeping golden’ senate seat to the people is the only real solution to the state’s embarrassing problems,” said Sen. Matt Murphy, R-Palatine.

Federal authorities said Blagojevich was trying to sell an appointment to the seat, formerly occupied by President Barack Obama, to the highest bidder. Blagojevich was taped by authorities using obscenities to describe how important the appointment was to his personal well being.

The federal constitution leaves it up to states to determine how to fill Senate vacancies. In Illinois, the governor has the power to fill vacancies by appointment.

State and federal lawmakers were skeptical about allowing Blagojevich to make any appointments, following his arrest for trying to sell the job. By appointing the non-controversial Burris, though, Blagojevich silenced much of that concern.

Burris took it further by testifying before the House impeachment committee that he had next to no contact with the Blagojevich administration over the appointment in the months leading up to it.

That story began to unravel last week when Burris acknowledged he talked to many Blagojevich aides about the appointment and even agreed to help raise money for the administration.

“It’s a tainted appointment that gets more tainted as the days go by,” said Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica.

House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, is also pushing an investigation into whether Burris committed perjury. Politicians and others from both parties are calling for him to quit.

The Republicans don’t want to leave anything to chance. Their bill calls for an election to be held even if Burris is still holding the seat. The bill also stipulates that any time a U.S. Senate seat becomes vacant in the future, it will be filled by election, not appointment by the governor.

Madigan spokesman Mike Weir said the Republicans’ election idea may be unconstitutional if it is used to oust Burris.

“If it becomes law, it’s likely to set off a protracted and costly legal battle that will take many months to resolve,” he said.

Weir added that a special election can cost $30 million to $50 million, money neither the state nor local election jurisdictions can afford. Murphy said money currently set aside but not yet spent for pork projects can cover the cost of the election.

Despite reservations, Weir said Madigan will take the issue before House Democrats to see how they feel about it.

Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, has supported a special election in the past and will consider it again, said spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon. However, that support may apply only to future vacancies, not to the situation involving Burris, she said. Phelon said Cullerton also wants input from Gov. Pat Quinn, who would fill the vacancy if Burris leaves.